


foreign sounds

by Tridraconeus



Series: it's not like you're dying [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bondage, Canon-Typical Violence, Choking, Electrocution, Feelings, Gen, Kissing, M/M, Ninjas - Freeform, Referenced Suicide Attempt, also nonsexual ya nasties, honestly if that doesn't entice you to read this i don't know what will, lonnie fights zombie ninjas in a hospital gown, of the nonsexual persuasion, of the ra's al ghul variety, tim steals lonnie from the hospital, very mildly appearing:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5998654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tridraconeus/pseuds/Tridraconeus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not quite alive but not quite dead really isn't any way to live. Tim fixes it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	foreign sounds

**Author's Note:**

> i got tired of saying stop unfair fridging of my favorite characters and decided to do it myself. also, rarepair ahoy. this is set pre-by boring brick.

_pick me up, dust me off, give me breath, let me cough_  
_drag me back, collect my thoughts_  
_i've come back to the land i've lost_  
  
Late that night, after the nurses finished their rounds, Tim snuck into Gotham Memorial. With a portable machine to do Lonnie's breathing _for_ him, since he still couldn't.  
  
The missing patient wasn't discovered until morning rounds, and by then they were long gone.  
  
Sneaking into the underground cave was hard, harder than it would've been it if was just Tim by his lonesome. But... his goal was worth the extra trouble. Getting Lonnie back was _worth_ it. At the side of the Pit, he unhooked Lonnie from the machine and unceremoniously threw him in.  
  
There was a choke, a gasp as Lonnie suddenly used his lungs on his own for the first time in what seemed like forever. Lazarus fluid flowed down his throat. He coughed, flailed, and finally grabbed onto the lip of the pit and hauled himself out to where he could lay out, belly down, and cough up more of the thick green fluid.  
  
"Tastes like bleach." His voice was scratchy and hoarse from a year of misuse, but he didn't seem to have any issues talking. Good.  
  
"How do you know that?" Tim shook his head, holding back a smile.  
  
"Drank some once. On purpose."  
  
Tim got the picture and changed the subject. Lonnie didn't react, which Tim took to mean he was grateful for it-- instead, he worked to slowly push up to his hands and knees, then feet, testing out each muscle and joint as he went.  
  
"Feeling well enough to walk?" Tim watched carefully, noticing how Lonnie didn't seem to feel any ignominy at wearing the hospital gown-- he didn't even seem to register it.  
  
"Walk? I feel well enough to fly." Lonnie grinned and stretched his arms out like the wings of some great bird, doing a quick front handspring. Some of the Lazarus fluid splattered on the stony ground, but Lonnie landed securely on his feet.  
  
"Fixed the muscle atrophy, too." Lonnie experimentally flexed his arm, forming a fist with his hand. He'd done the acrobatics without making sure he could, first; Tim almost wanted to scold him.  
  
Almost. Before he could, Lonnie spoke again.  
  
"Huh. Hey, how'd you get me in here anyways?"  
  
"I'd prefer not to answer that. We should leave. Quickly."  
  
Lonnie was visibly uncomfortable-- that was one saving grace about him. He wore everything on his sleeve. His ideals, his plans-- his emotions. That's why he wore the mask apart from concealing his identity, he'd told Tim, to hide them.  
  
" _Too late._ "  
  
Both their heads whipped around to see who had addressed them and saw a group-- twelve, maybe, ninjas. They jumped as one towards the boys. Lonnie's breathing got all funny, like he was hurting, but he didn't have any issues tackling the first ninja to reach him and tossing him into the cave wall. The ninja slumped, motionless. Through a wall of ninja, Tim saw Lonnie being overwhelmed. He was getting pressed up against the device, the skin of his back touching cold metal. But Tim shouldn't have been worried, knowing how resourceful Lonnie was. Quick as a flash he whipped around and slammed the ninja into it, grabbing at wires until electricity crackled loudly.  
  
There was a sizzle and a scream. Lonnie winced. He didn't have much time to consider his actions before another two ninjas grabbed his attention, and then he went under in a whirl of limbs. One of them threw his arm around his neck and pulled back; Lonnie wasn't quite pinned, but it was in the right spot to make him light-headed, and--  
  
being brought back, only to die for real? That was some irony.  
  
Fortunately, Tim wasn't about to let that happen. He jumped on the ninja and threw him back, pulled Lonnie up, and turned his attentions back to their assailants.  
  
Tim eventually grabbed Lonnie and made for the exit-- the ninja just kept getting up, and they didn't have that luxury. Lonnie was happy to follow. Tim's motorcycle was outside, and he ditched the sidecar-- that had held Lonnie's body on the way there-- and motioned for Lonnie to hop on behind him.  
  
With the sounds of angry undead ninjas hot on their heels, Lonnie couldn't complain.  
  
"You fucked with Ra's?" Lonnie was, Tim noticed, suddenly very white and _very scared_. His voice shook and his hands trembled on Tim's chest, remembering-- something. "He'll _kill_ you, Tim!"  
  
Tim shook his head even as he kept his eyes glued to the road. "He won't."  
  
The motorcycle rumbled softly as it sped across the asphalt, kicking up gravel and litter every-so-often.  
  
"Do you even have somewhere to go?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
That seemed to satisfy Lonnie, and the rest of the ride back was as silent as the ride to.  
  
Once at his safehouse, Tim led Lonnie inside. It was messy, of course, and cluttered, but it was _high-tech_ clutter and _his_ clutter so that made it okay.  
  
Whether it was the excitement, the fatigue, or the feeling of having his body really, truly be his again, Lonnie fairly fell against him and kissed him as soon as they were securely inside and hidden from any prying eyes. Tim-- despite better judgement-- kissed back. Lonnie started laughing, wrapped his arms around Tim's torso, and kissed him again.  
  
"I didn't thank you, did I?" For what it was worth, Lonnie sounded breathless. Tim idly thought that maybe he should get him out of the tacky hospital gown sometime soon.  
  
"You just did, didn't you? C'mon, let me get you some sweatpants so you can get out of that."  
  
Lonnie nodded and didn't let go. Tim figured he should push Lonnie away, at some point, but... he didn't. He just stayed there with an arm around his waist, thumb pressed up against those pointy hipbones, and walked to the bedroom of the tiny hideout. As they entered, Tim flicked on the fan to help air it out.  
  
"So." Tim spoke up as he dug through a drawer. "Does this mean I get Anarky back?"  
  
"Do you _want_ Anarky back? I was perfectly happy being your Oracle as Moneyspider." Lonnie leaned up against the bureau, eyes dropping half-shut as he watched the slowly spinning fan. "It... it kind of feels weird not to be connected to the net twenty four-seven, really. Not bad, though."  
  
"I suppose that means it's up to you."  
  
"Okay." Lonnie caught the sweatpants that Tim tossed at him and drifted towards the bathroom. Tim fell over onto the twin bed, taking his turn staring at the fan.  
  
Worth it. Ra's was going to kill him, but _worth it_.


End file.
